Apparatus for carbureted water gas



May 19, 1953 N. H. WILLIAMS APPARATUS FOR CARBURETED WATER GAS Filed Sept. 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 1 9, 1953 N. H. WILLIAMS 8 APPARATUS FOR CARBURETED WATER GAS Filed Sept. 6, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ttorneys the gases have a relatively high velocity. It is apparent that this inlet chamber may be separate from the carbureter proper and connected thereto by a short pipe entering the top of the carbureter proper vertically and centrally and serving as the throat.

When using heavy oil, as much oil as is convenient may be added in the generator, where the carbon residues deposited from it are available for generation of gas.

Secondary air for combustion of the blow gases is preferably added at a point or points at which it will become thoroughly mixed with the gas before passing through the throat; such air may for example be added in the generator top, in the generator-carbureter connection or in the upper part of the inlet chamber. Excess air may also be admitted at one or more of these points for burning carbon deposits from the walls of the carbureter but it is preferred to admit air for combustion of carbon deposits on the walls at a level well below the top of the carbureter in such manner that it will mix preferentially with that spin round in contact with the carbureter wall and with any carbon deposits thereon, instead of passing down the central part of the carbureter without contacting and combusting such deposits. For example, carbon-burning air may be introduced peripherally at a point or points at the throat or where the gases are expanding after passing through the throat and other supplies may be added at a few points beyond. These additional air inlets may be tangential so that if air is supplied through them at a sufliciently. high velocity it will tend to maintain or even increase the spinning of the blast gases. During the uprun no air will be added at these inlets. The admission of carbon-burning air peripherally to a spinning flow gas stream in a carbureter is the subject of my copending application No. 114,165.

The above described method of separate addition of air for burning of blow gases and for burning carbon deposits in the carbureter is preferred, but it is evident that by simultaneously adding air for both purposes, peripherally, at an intermediate location in the path of the gases through the inlet chamber, for instance at a suitable level in the vertical walls of the inlet chamber, an intermediate degree of mixing will result in the issuing gases, that is to say more air will remain in the peripheral gases than has penetrated to those issuing centrally. This is not as efiicient as the preferred dual admission because that portion of the air intended for combodying the invention, the usual steam and air 'mains and connections being omitted for the sake of clearness, but are necessarily provided.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through bureter taken at the throat.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the carthe carbureter showing the inlets for additional air disposed below the throat and which are tangentially disposed, same being a modification of those shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6, '7, 8, 9 and 10 are diagrams illustrating methods of varying the rotational or spinning motion imparted to the gases entering the inlet chamber of the carbureter.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,

a is the generator, b the carbureter and c the superheater. The generator a, the top of which is connected to the top of the carbureter b by the pipe d, is shown equipped with a nozzle e (Fig. 1) for spraying oil onto the fuel bed thereof during the run, and with a number of air inlets f for marginally blasting with air during .part of the blow gases which is spinning or will the blow the upper part of the fuel bed to store heat in the upper part of the generator for vaporizing oil and to burn carbon residues deposited thereon from the oil.

The pipe d has a secondary air inlet at g and enters the top part of the carbureter b tangentially. Below the level of this inlet pipe (2 the carbureter wall is formed with an annular inward projection 71. having sloped upper and lower surfaces. This projection h divides the carbureter vessel into an upper inlet chamber b and a lower chamber b which are connected by throat h. The chamber b is connected by a pipe 7' with the superheater c and is provided with an oil spraying nozzle 1 which is shown directed upwards along the vertical axis of the vessel, but may be located near the top of the chamber 12 and be directed downwards as at i in Fig. 1. The chamber 2) between the throat l1. and the pipe between the carbureter and the superheater is checkerless or empty and constitutes the carbureter proper. The pipe y is shown extending radially from the chamber 12 but it may extend tangentially therefrom.

The top of the superheater is connected by a pipe 0' to a washbox (not shown) and by a pipe 0 to a waste heat boiler (not shown).

In Figs. 1 and 2 radial passages kare shown extending from an annular channel k through the under surface of the projection h for the introduction of carbon burning air to the periphery of the blow gas stream flowing into carbureter proper 17 k is the air supply pipe to the channel k.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the passages 10 instead of being radial are tangentially arranged so as to assist the spinning of the blast gases.

The rates of production of blow gases and uprun gases and hence the velocities with which these gases pass through the connection 11 from the generator a to the carbureter b are however different and for a variety of reasons it is not practicable widely to alterv their relative velocities by alteration of the relative durations of the completely evaporated particles onto the wall by centrifugal action, though it may be desired to cause the particles to pursue a rotating spiral path in the neighborhood of the hot brickwork.

It is therefore desirable in some cases to provide means of varying the rotational motion imparted to the gases in the inlet chamber 1) during either the blow phase or the uprun phase of the cycle or both either in the sense of augmenting or of reducing the rotation, or of increasing rotation during the one phase and reducing it during the other.

The rotation of gases in the inlet chamber b may be increased by increasing their tangential velocity as they enter it, and suitable means for this purpose comprise a movable vane or vanes at or near the carbureter end of the inlet connection d deflecting the entering gases towards the Wall while simultaneously imparting an increased velocity to the gases by constricting their entry path. Fig. 5 illustrates such an arrangement, Z being a hinged vane which can be moved towards and from the wall of the pipe (1 opposite the vane hinge.

Reduced rotation of the gases in the inlet chamber 2) may be brought about by a vane or vanes, preferably at the level of the inlet connection, which may be moved to impose an obstruction to the rotational motion of the gases but which can be moved out of their path. A vane Z so arranged is illustrated in Fig. 6.

A plate sliding across the gas stream, say in a 1.

horizontal or vertical direction or other means may be used instead of a hinged vane. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate arrangements corresponding to Figs. 5 and 6 of horizontally sliding plates Z.

As an alternative to varying the rotational movement by means of vanes or the like two gas inlets dd to the inlet chamber b may be provided, one of which d is the tangential inlet and the other d, which may branch from the pipe d leading to the first inlet or may leave the generator at a separate point, does not enter the carbureter tangentially but enters it either centrally on the axis or radially, or in any other direction not imparting a rotating motion to the gases or imparting a reduced rotating motion or possibly even tending to destroy any rotating motion of gases entering through the tangential connection d. The proportions admitted through the two connections dd may be varied as desired to give the appropriate rotational effect of the combined gases by means of valves, which may be of the butterfly type, in one or both connections, or by a directing vane at their junction. If desired, during the oiling period, the uprun gases may be passed through the carbureter b with very little or substantially no rotating motion. Fig. 9 illustrates diagrammatically such an arrangement having a branch (1 from the tangential pipe at which branch is substantially radial to the chamber b, I being a hinged directing vane at the junction of d and d.

Fig. 10 shows a similar arrangement but the 1 branch d enters the top of the chamber 1) axially, d and (1' being provided with valves Z to control the fiow of gas therethrough. The valves are conveniently butterfly valves.

Because it is usually more important to minimise resistance to gas flow during the blow period than during the uprun period and because the rotational effect required during the blow period is usually greater than that required during the uprun period, it will generally be arranged that the rotational efiect required during the blow period is obtained with no vanes then in the path of the gases and with all the gases entering through the tangential connection.

Water gas apparatus according to the present invention may include a generator provided with means whereby the coke or other fuel when charged is subjected to heating by the process gases and may be also by radiation, for sufiicient time to be thoroughly heated before oil is sprayed upon it. Also the carbureter may have a bosh or grate near the base and below its connection with the superheater filled with or supporting a bed of refractory material for retaining deposits from the carbureting oil spray and a second connection to the superheater and an air inlet below the bosh or grate.

I claim:

1. A carbureted water gas apparatus having a generator and having a carbureter devoid of checkerwork and having a superheater, said generator, carbureter and superheater being so connected by passages that the blast air passes through the generator and the blast ases pass down through the carbureter and up through the superheater, and the uprun follows the same course through the generator, down through the carbureter and up through the superheater; wherein the carbureter comprises a substantially cylindrical upper chamber having adjacent its top a substantially tangential gas inlet from the generator, said carbureter having a substantially cylindrical lower chamber of substantially same diameter as the upper chamber; a throat between the upper and lower chambers of the carbureter formed by an annular inward projection from the carbureter disposed a substantial distance below the gas inlet, the upper surface of which projection slopes downwardly and inwardly towards said throat, and the lower surface of which slopes downwardly and outwardly away from said throat; and movable means in said tangential carbureter inlet adjustable to divert the straight line flow of a portion of the gas in the connecting passage and to vary the angle of the lines of flow of said portion into said carbureter and the direction of said lines of flow in respect to the vertical axis of the carbureter.

2. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1, an air inlet in the carbureter below the level of the tangential gas inlet from the generator for admission of additional air to that part of the blast gas stream in the carbureter which is in contact with the wall of the carbureter.

3. In apparatus as set forth in claim 2, the additional air inlet in the carbureter being disposed tangentially of the wall of the carbureter.

4. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1, oil spraying means in the lower chamber of the carbureter below said throat.

5. In apparatus as set forth in claim 1, a second gas inlet branching from the tangential gas inlet from the generator for directing gases in a substantially radial direction into the carbureter upper chamber; and said means controlling the proportion of gas entering the upper chamber through said several inlets.

NORMAN HENRY WILLIAMS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,262 Guldlin Nov. 13, 1894 1,726,317 Searle Aug. 27, 1929 1,932,828 Nordmeyer Oct. 31, 1933 2,007,200 Hughes July 9', 1935 2,064,006 Hughes Dec. 15, 1936 2,344,007 Totzek Mar. 14, 1944 2,397,138 Haug Mar. 26, 1946 

1. A CARBURETED WATER GAS APPARATUS HAVING A GENERATOR AND HAVING A CARBURETER DEVOID OF CHECKERWORK AND HAVING A SUPERHEATER, SAID GENERATOR, CARBURETER AND SUPERHEATER BEING SO CONNECTED BY PASSAGE THAT THE BLAST AIR PASSES THROUGH THE GENERATOR AND THE BLAST GASES PASS DOWN THROUGH THE CARBURETER AND UP THROUGH THE SUPERHEATER, AND THE UPRUN FOLLOWS THE SAME COURSE THROUGH THE GENERATOR, DOWN THROUGH THE CARBURETER AND UP THROUGH THE SUPERHEATER; WHEREIN THE CARBURETER COMPRISES SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL LOWER CHAMBER HAVING ADJACENT ITS TOP A SUBSTANTIALLY TANGENTIAL GAS INLET FROM THE GENERATOR, SAID CARBURETER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL LOWER CHAMBER OF SUBSTANTIALLY SAME DIAMETER AS THE UPPER CHAMBER; A THROAT BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER CHAMBERS OF THE CARBURETER FORMED BY AN ANNULAR INWARD PROJECTION FROM THE CARBURETER DISPOSED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE GAS INLET, THE UPPER SURFACE OF WHICH PROJECTION SLOPES DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TOWARDS SAID THROAT, AND THE LOWER SURFACE OF WHICH SLOPES DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID THROAT; AND MOVABLE MEANS IN SAID TANGENTIAL CARBURETER INLET ADJUSTABLE TO DIVERT THE STRAIGHT LINE FLOW OF A PORTION OF THE GAS IN THE CONNECTING PASSAGE AND TO VARY THE ANGEL OF THE LINES OF FLOW OF SAID PORTION INTO SAID CARBURETER TO THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE CARBURETER. 